Excavating-machine.



No. 645,175. Patented Mar. l3, I900.

. J. H. W. LIBBE.

EXGAVATING MACHINE.

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N0. 645,!75. Patented Mar. l3, I900. J. H. W. LIBBE.

EXCAVATING MACHINE.

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Nu. 645,l75. Patented Mar. I3, 1900. J. H. W. LIBBE.

EXGAVATING MACHINE.

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No. 645,l75. Patented Mar. I3, I900.

J. H. W. LIBBE.

EXGAVATING MACHINE.

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No. 645,I75. Patented Mar. 13, I900.

J. H. W. LIBBE. EXOAVATING MACHINE.

(Application filed Apr. 7, 1899.\ (No Modal.) 5 Sheets-Shoat '5.

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- To all whom, it may concern.-

UNmD STATES PATENT Orricie.

JOHN H. W. LIBBE, OF TOLEDO, OI-IIO;

EXCAVATlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent Nd. 645,17 5, dated March 13, 1906.

Application filed April 7, 1899. Serial No. 712,128. (No model.) I

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. citizen of the United States, residing at T- ledo, Lucas county, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful, Improvements in Excavating-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

In that class of eXcavating-machinesin which a scoop, dipper, or shovel mounted at the extremity of a dipper arm' or handle supported in a crane is employed to perform the work of excavating it is a well-known fact that a large proportion of the working time is lost in swinging from-side to side this crane each'time' the dipper or shovel is dumped and returned to its work. One of the objects of my invention is to overcome this objection and to provide a mechanism whereby the ordinary dipper and its arm may be'operated without the loss of time'incident to the use of the ordinary machine of the character indicated.

Among the difficulties encountered in the use of cranes employed in excavating machines of the character above referred to are the instability of the device and the necessary limit to the length of the dipper-arm mounted upon the crane. The latter objection precludes digging with the dipper at any considerable depth below the level of the excavating-machine. My invention is also designed to overcome these difficulties,and more particularly to provide a device in which the ordinary crane shall be dispensed with, in which the dipper-arms may be made much longer, and in which the dipper may be caused to dig at a greater depth below the level of the excavating-machine than has heretofore been practicable.

In eXcavat-ingmachines of the kind in question it has not heretofore been feasible to employ a plurality of scoops or dippers side by side, owing to the interference of the swinging cranes with each other. Hence the capacity of a machine of this sort mounted upon a single portable vehicle or carrier has been restricted to the work whicha single dipper has been able to accomplish. My invention is designed also to meet this objection and to furnish a machine in Which any desired number of extensible dipper-arms, each having a scoop, dipper, or shovel at its extremity, may

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be mounted and operated side by side with-* out interference with each other.

My invention also relates .to certain details of construction hereinafterreferred to, and pointed out in the claims. v r

' I attain the objects above referred to by means of the machine and devices and arrangement of partshereinafter described and shown and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, made part hereof, in which Figure 1 is an end elevation of part of my machine seen from the left on'line 0c 50, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of a'portion of my machine; Fig. 3, a top plan view of said portion; Fig. 4, a diagrammatic top plan view of my machine complete with eight dippers in place and ready for use, showing a convenient arrangement of tracks; Fig. 5, a perspective view of two sections of the endless apron or carrier hereinafter referred to with their end pieces removed from one end; Fig. 6, a top plan-view of a portion of said carrier hereinafter referred to; Fig. 7, a transverse sectional elevation of said apron or carrier; Fig. 8, a vertical central transverse section of the swivel for the dipper-arm, hereinafter referred to. Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the tilting platform hereinafter referred to and its connections with one of the clutches hereinafter referred to, and Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the same.

Likev numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

In this specification that part of the machine next the work will be termed the front of the machine, the opposite side the rear, and the remaining two sides the ends. The description of the mechanism for actuating and controlling one dipper or shovel will apply equally to each of a series of shovels.

In the drawings, 1 is a stout rectangular horizontal metal frame composed of suitable channel-bars and I-beams rigidly bolted or riveted together at their angles and meeting points. Springing vertically from this frame are-stout posts 1, which carry at their top horizontal I-beams and channel-bars 1 forming an upper frame. The entire structure is mounted upon wheels 2, which run upon rails 3 of a suitable track provided for the support of the machine. The number of rails in this track and the number of support- Ling-wheels beneath the machine in alinement with said rails will depend upon the size and capacity of the machine. In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a track having five parallel rails,

5 and it will be understood that the machine is provided with a series of supporting-wheels for each of these rails.

The rear part of the frame is provided with a deck or floor upon which rest the engines and boilers and the heavier portions of the hoisting-gear, while the forward part of the framework is open. Along the front end of the machine isa series of stout posts 4:. (See Fig. 1.) Secured to and supported by these posts and extending horizontally the full length of the frame is a tubularbeam 5, either in one piece orin suitable sections. Loose upon the cylindrical beam 5 is a series of sleeves 6, which may be rotated axially and,

moved bodily horizontally along theb'eam 5.

Upon the upper side ofeach of the sleeves 6 is formed a horizontal disk 7', upon which rests a like disk 8, the two disks being provided with interposed ball-bearings and be ing held upon the same axial line by means of a pin 8 passing through the center of both disks. (See Fig. 8.) Formed integral with orsecured to the top of the disk 8 isa tubular sleeve 9. Passing through this sleeve and 0 loose therein is a tubular dipper-arm 10, at

3 5 the machine instead of outwardly.

bail12 of the dipper is secured a rope or chain 13, which leads to a hoisting-drum 14, which is driven through the usual intermediate gearing by an engine 15. The hoisting-drum 14 is thrown into and out ofengage- 5 ment with its gearing by means of a clutch actuated by lever 14, located within reach of the operator. The rope 13 in its course passes over sheave l6, suspended from asmall stout truck 17. This truck is movable a short distance to and fro from front to rear on a track or way 18, supported bythe top frame of the machine. The purpose of this horizontally-movable sheave 16 will hereinafter be made more fully to appear.

Secured to the dipper-arm, near its dipper end, is another rope or chain 19, which leads over a pulley 20, secured to the sleeve 9 and pulley 21 to a drum 22, journaled in the upper part of the frame of the machine. This drum is mounted loose upon a shaft 23, which is connected with the engine 15 by means of suitable gearing or belting. The drum 22 is thrown into or out of engagement with its shaft by means of clutch 24, which is operatively connected with lever 25 within con venient reach of the operator. It will be seen that the dipper-arm 10 may be retracted and raised by means of rope 13 and drum let and that it may be projected and allowed to swing outwardly to any desired position by means of the rope 21 and drum 22.

5 in one direction, and when the drum 30 is oppositely revolved the sleeve 6 and its load travel in the opposite direction. Thus the swivelfsupport of the dipper-arm may bereadily shifted to any pointalong the length-of the tubular beam 5, and thus the dipper may be caused to cut at any-point-within thelimit of the length of the dipper-arm and within its 7 The drum 30 may be caused to revolve in either direclateral travel along the beam 5'.

tion by meansof a'doublecone frictionclutch '31, keyed to the shaft 23, but longitudinally movable thereon. 'VVhen one of the cones is thrown into contact with one side of cone-pulley 32 on the'end of the shaft 33 on which the drum 30 is secured, motion will be communicated from the shaft 23 to the shaft 33. If the opposite cone ofthe clutch 31 be thrown into contact with the opposite side of the conepulley 32, the opposite motion will be'imparted to the drum -30. The double cone 31 is movedto-an'd fro along its shaft by means of a lever 34. (See Fig. 2.) This lever is pivotally connected by means of rod 35 to a tilting platform 36, pivoted, as-at 37, upon the iioor or frame of the machine. Springs 38, beneath the platform, hold the platform normally horizontal, but permit it to swing upon its pivot as the weight of the'operator is thrown upon one side or the other. Thus it will be seen, referring to Fig. 2, that if the weight of the operator, who stands facing the front of the machine, be thrown upon his left leg the left-hand member of the double-cone pulley or clutch will be thrown into engagement with the cone-pulley on the shaft of the drum 30 and that if the weight of the operator be thrown upon his right leg the opposite effect will be produced.

Reaching across the frame of the machine from one side to the other and just in the rear of the open spaces in which swing the dippers and dipper-arms are two railways 39, one above the other. Upon these two railways travels an endlessbelt orapron 40, supported by wheels which travel upon the rails of the ways 39, the upper and lower wheels moving in opposite directions. The tracks may extend a considerable distance beyond the frame of the machine at'either or both ends and may be inclined upwardly at either or both ends, as indicated in Fig. 2. A railroad-track may be built parallel with the ways 3,at either or both sides thereof, as indicated in Fig. 4, so that railroad-cars may be run beneath the ends of the traveling apron.

The apron consists of a series of approximately-semicylindrical sections 41, flexibly jointed or hinged together at their straight meeting edges, as indicated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. Each of the semicylindrical sections is closed at each end like a trough by a plate 42, the edges of adjoining plates overlapping each other, as at 43. (See Figs. 5 and 6.) The lower margins of these plates have inwardlyprojecting flanges 42, curved in the arc of a circle, to which flanges the sections 41 are bolted or riveted. Projecting horizontally from the outersides of the plates-42 are lugs 44, each of which forms a spindle or shaft for aflanged wheel 45, designed'to run upon the railways 39. The lugs or spindles 44 are con nected together'in pairs by stout links 46, each link being connected to two adjoining plates 42. Thus the plates 42 and links 46 together form'a pair of chains carrying between them the troughs,41. I

47is a longitudinal extensionof the frame of the machine supporting the ends of the railways 39 and the end shafts and guides or pulleys for the apron 40. Thisapron may be propelled by any suitable mechanism, but for illustration I have shown the following arrangement: Journaled upon the top of the frame extension 47, as at 48, is a pair of stout sprocket-wheels 49, the teeth of which engage the wheels or other suitable portions of the apron 40. On the shaft of the sprocket-wheels 49 are fixed two other sprocket-wheels 50, which are driven by endless chains 51, passing over sprocket-wheels 52, fixed on shaft 53. On this shaft is a miter gear-wheel 54, which outer may be driven by either of the two beveled pinions 55, placed at opposite sides of the wheel 54. These beveled pinions are mounted on shaft 23 and revolved therewith, but. may

be moved longitudinally on the shaft into or' out of engagement with the wheel 54. The two wheels 55 are connected by a yoke 56, (see Fig. 2,) which yoke is connected by means of rod 57 to hand-lever 58, pivoted upon the frame of the machine and projecting downwardly at the side of the operator. The shaft 23 moves constantly in one direction; but the wheel 54 and its attached train of gearing may be caused to move in either direction by throwin g one or the other of the oppositely-arranged pinions 55 into or out of gear by means of the lever 58. It will be observed that between the pinions 55 and the sprocket-Wheel 50 the transmitting mechanism is geared down, so that the motion of the apron 40 will be comparatively slow but of great force. There may be an engine 15 for each shovel and a boiler 15 for each two engines, as indicated but of course this arrangement may be varied as circumstances may require.

The operation of my device is as follows: Assuming that the parts are assembled and arranged as indicated in the diagrammatic view Fig. 4, with a track on either side of the .set in motion.

cut to be made, the engines which furnish power to the various dippers or shovels are Line 19 being hauled in and line 13 being paid out, the dipper swings upon its swivel-joint 6 7 8 9 as apendulum. Line 19 is now let go and the dipper is accordingly permitted to strike the earth, the length of swing of the dipper being controlled by the clutch which controls the hoisting-drum 14. For illustration, it will be assumed that a train of cars is waiting on the right-hand track,,Fig. 4, and that the top of the endless apron or belt 40 is traveling in that direction. One or more of the engines, as may be required, are connected with the chain 51 and the driving mechanism of the apron 40 by means of lever 58, and the apron is thus set in motion in the desired direction.v Hoistingdrum 14 is set in motion and the dipper or shovel is filled with excavated earth in the usual manner. Thewinding of the drum continuing, the dipper is lifted nearly to a horizontal position. The truck 17, from which the sheave 16 is suspended, now moves rearwardly, causing the dipper to hang directly over the traveling apron. The dipper, by means of the trip 11, is now-dumped in the usual manner, the contents falling upon the apron and being carriedto and emptied upon the waiting train. As each of the dippers of the series is constantly a'ttwork,the apron will be taxed to its capacity, and the cars of the waiting train, as they move slowly beneath the falling stream of earth from the apron, will be rapidly filled. By this time a train of empty cars shouldreach the opposite end of the apron. The throw of the lever 58 and the resulting reversal of the motion of the gear-wheel 54 will now cause the belt 40 dumped on the apron, I provide inclined sheet-metal shields 59, which, serving as elongated hoppers, catch and guide the loose earth, which would otherwise be scattered.

When the cut is completed up to the machine, the machine is windlassed or otherwise moved back from the cut a suitable distance and is there suitably anchored or secured,and the work again proceeds, as above described.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In an excavating-machine, a horizontal beam at the front of the machine, a dipper and dipper-arm mounted upon said beam and means for shifting the dipper-arm laterally along said beam.'

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. versely on said horizontal beam.

3. In an excavating-machine, a horizontal beam at the front of the machine, a dipper and dipper-arm, a swiveled connection between the beam and dipper-arm, means for reciprocating the dipper-arm longitudinally,

and means for shifting the dipper-arm bodily along the beam.

4:. In an excavating-machine, a cylindrical beam along the front of the machine, a sleeve loose thereon, a dipper-arm, a sleeve loose on the dipperarm, swiveled connections between said two sleeves, means for tilting and sliding said firstmentioned sleeve on the beam, and means for sliding the in its sleeve. v

5. In an excavating-machine a beam extending along the front of the machine, a plurality of d'ippers and dipper-arms operatively mounted upon said beam, andmeans for actuating said dipper-arms. 1

6. loan excavating-machine, a beam extending along the front of the machine,a series of'dippers operatively mounted upon said beam and adapted to out toward the machine,"a traveling apron or carrier running parallel with said beam, and means for swinging said dippersabove the carrier and for dumping their contents upon the carrier.

'7. In an excavating-machine, a traveling apron or carrier, a series of dippers arranged parallel therewith, arms or handles for said dippers, means for projecting and retracting dipper-arm said arms, means for shifting said arms laterally, means for swinging said arms in vertical planes, means for swinging the dippers above the carrier, and means for dumping the contents of the dippers upon the carrier.

8. In an excavating-machine, a dipper and dipper-arm, a series of clutches adapted and arranged to control the movements of said dipper and dipper-arm, a tilting platform for the operator, and connections between said platform and one of said clutches.

9. In an excavating-machine, an apron or carrier comprising a series of trough-like sections pivoted or-hinged together at their straight meeting edges, a plate secured to each end of each 'of said trough-like sections, a'wheel for each of said plates, two

tracks, one above the other, for said wheels,

sprocket-wheels to propel said carrier, combined with excavating mechanism adapted to discharge upon said carrierand means for controlling-said carrier and. said excavating mechanism. Y

10. In an excavating-machine, aframe having mounted at the'rearthereof the engines and gearing, an endless apron or carrier, two tracks one above the otherfor the support of the carrier, said tracks leading from end to end of the frame, a series of dippers adapted to discharge'uponsaid carrier, and aseries of dipper-armsrfor said (lippers operatively supportedat-the frontof said machine, said supports being arranged in parallel relation with the carrier.

- JOHN H. W. LIBBE.

In presence of- WILBER A. OWEN, L. E. BROWN. 

